1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to containers for volatile liquid aromatics which can be placed in locations such as bath rooms, sitting rooms, and bed rooms for volatilizing sweet-smelling liquid substances, hereinafter referred to as volatile liquid aromatics.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Containers for pleasantly odorous substances hereinafter referred to as aromatics, which store a quantity of liquid aromatics and are placed in bath rooms, bed rooms, sitting rooms, offices, etc., for perfuming the air by volatilizing the aromatics, are widely used. Such containers generally comprise an absorbent core member and a volatilizing member having a large area: the absorbent member absorbs the liquid aromatic stored in the container and leads it up to the volatilizing member; the volatilizing member volatilizes the aromatic into the room and gives off a sweet-smelling scent.
In the case of conventional containers for storing and volatilizing liquid aromatics, the absorbent member is immersed in the liquid aromatic even before the container is placed in a room and put into an operative condition. Thus, a separating member is interposed between the absorbent and the volatilizing member to prevent the volatilization and consumption of the liquid aromatic during the distribution stage or before it is put to use; when the container is put into an operative condition, the separating member is removed by the user. The removal of the separating member is effected as follows. First, the carrier of the volatilizing member is unscrewed from the main body of the container; next, the separating member is removed; lastly, the carrier of the volatilizing member is screwed back onto the main body of the container, so that the absorbent and the volatilizing member can come into mutual contact and the liquid aromatic can be led up to the volatilizing member through the absorbent member.
Thus, conventional containers have had the disadvantage that the separating member, which separates the volatilizing member from the absorbent member during the distribution stage, must first be removed by the user before it is put into operative condition. This removing operation is troublesome to the user. Therefore, there is a desire for containers which are less troublesome to use.
Conventional liquid aromatic containers have further disadvantages resulting from the geometry of the volatilizing portion of the absorbing and volatilizing structure, as explained below.
In conventional containers for liquid aromatics, the volatilization of the aromatic is effected by the combination of an absorbent core member and a volatilizing scent-storing member having a large area. The absorbent core member draws up the liquid aromatic to the top of the container; the volatilizing scent-storing member, which has a comparatively large area to ensure that an adequate amount of aromatics is volatilized therefrom, volatilizes the liquid aromatics led up to it through the abosorbent core member.
Conventional volatilization structures used in liquid aromatic containers include a variety of types. Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56-16968, for example, teaches a volatilizing member having the form of a flat plate placed in a horizontal attitude which is abutted against the top of a vertical absorbent core member. Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 57-42435, on the other hand, discloses a volatilizing structure in which the absorbent core member and the volatilizing scent-storing member are formed as one integral body, by means, for example, of blanking, the volatilizing scent-storing portion being bent at the top of the absorbent core portion to extend horizontally. Furthermore, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-2051 teaches a structure in which the volatilizing scent-storing member is kept in a vertical attitude.
In the case of the volatilizing structures as described above used in conventional containers for volatile liquid aromatics, the liquid aromatics stored in the container is led up to the volatilizing scent-storing member through the absorbent core and is diffused through the volatilizing scent-storing member to be volatilized therefrom into the air. The quantity of volatilized liquid aromatic depends on factors such as the efficacy of the absorbing core and the volatilizing scent-storing member with respect to their absorbing function and the effective volatilizing area of the volatilizing scent-storing member.
With respect to the volatilized quantity, it is essential to ensure that an appropriate quantity is volatilized according to the condition of use. It is also necessary to ensure that a predetermined amount of liquid aromatic keeps on being volatilized throughout entire period during which the aromatic is consumed.
On the other hand, the liquid aromatics which are used in the containers as described above contain coloring dyes and non-volatile solvents. These non-volatile materials are also led up through the absorbent core to the volatilizing scent-storing member together with the effective aromatic dissolved in the solvent. The volatile components are volatilized therefrom, while the non-volatile components left in the volatilizing scent-storing member are dissolved in the solvent continually supplied from the absorbent core, and are carried by the flow of the diffusing solvent to the portions furthest from the portion connected to the absorbent core. Thus, the non-volatile components concentrate and set on the volatilizing surface furthest from the absorbent core member, on which the concentration of non-volatile components continuously increases while that of the solvent components is continuously decreased.
Thus, the surfaces of the peripheral portions of the volatilizing scent-storing member are gradually coated by the setting non-volatile components, and the volatilization of the liquid aromatics is inhibited in such coated portions. The high-concentration areas of non-volatile components move gradually toward the central portions of the volatilizing scent-storing member; the coating of the surface thereof by the setting non-volatile components advances further toward the center of the volatilizing scent-storing member. Thus, a large area of the volatilizing surface is eventually covered by the setting non-volatile components, greatly reducing the quantity of volatilized liquid aromatics, as compared with the case at the initial stage of usage.
The remnant non-volatile components in the peripheral surfaces of the volatilizing scent-storing member can be observed visually in the form of the colored spots which are formed on the surface of the volatilizing scent-storing member by the accumulating dyes in the course of usage.